Railroad-tie.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. W. DUNNIGAN.

.RAILROAD TIE. APPLICATION I'ILED NOV. 7, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 846,785. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. W. DUNNIGAN.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"11", 'IIIIIlIllIlI" 'IIIIIIIIIIIII villII1llllll7n iii/1111111, 7-? 11117111111 'ITI/ III/l JAMES W. DUNNIGAN, -OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVAN RAILROAD-TIE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed November 7,1906. Serial No. 342,399.

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. DUNNIGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Railroad-Ties, of which the to lowing is a specification. 5

The invention relates to an improvement in railroad-ties constructed and arranged to provide an indestructible tie having a sulficient degree of elasticity to compensate for the jar incident to the travel of trains upon the rails.

'omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the tie on line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the tie, illustrating a slightlymodified construction. 4

. Referring particularly to the drawings, wherein like parts are indicated by simi ar reference-numerals throughout the several views, my improved tie is constructed of a single strip of sheet metal of appropriate width and of a length equal to the ength of the desired tie.

In forming the tie the stri is bent at a point intermediate its side e ges to form a channel 1, said channel extendlng the full length of the tie and having its side walls 2 arranged at an upward and inward mclmation, whereby the channel is, in effect, dovetailed. From the upper ends of the channel- 2 of the channel. From the section 4 the strip is projected below the lower wall of the channel at a relatively outward inclination, as at 6, the section 6 being approximately equal in length to the section 4. At the lower end of the section 6 the strip is bent inwardly toward the center of the tie to provide a base-section 7, extending in parallel relation to'the rail-seat and terminating at the longitudinal center of the tie. From the base-section 7 the ends of'the strip project upwardly, as at 8, the sections 8 projecting at a slight outward incline and resting in con tact with and formin a su port for the bottom Wall 5 of the 0 anne. As thus constructed the tie is formed with a centrallydis osed longitudinally-arranged channel and wit metallic rail-seats on opposite sides of the channel. The side walls of the tie,.including the sections 4 and 6, project at reverse inclinations from the respective upper and lower surfaces of the tie, while the basesection of the tie is provided with vertical struts to bear beneath and aid in suppol ting the bottom wall of the channel.

. The channel 1 is designed to receive a lurality of sections or strips of wood or the ike, as 9, which are sha ed 1n cross-section to accurately corres on with the sectional contour of the c annel. By preference the wooden strip is in three sections, a central section and two end sections, and said strip is held against independent longitudinal movement through the medium of tie-bolts 10, which pass through the sections 4 of the tie, the side walls 2 of the channel, and the wooden strip within the channel. The bottom wall of the channel is formed with a series of perforations 11, whereby to rovide for the escape of any moisture fin ing its way into the channel.

The base-sections 7 of the tie are each formed with a series of integral downwardlyprojecting tongues 12, forming projections to prevent longitudinal movement of the tie when the latter is seated in the road-bed. By preference the tongues on the opposite sides of the transverse center of the tie project in opposite directions, thereby assisting in holding the tie against movement in either direction.

In use the tie is adapted to be placed in the pocket for the reception of the road-bed ma- IIO terial to aid in holding the tie in place. The rails are spiked to the tie in the usual manner, the spikes seatin of course, in the wooden strip 9 in the channel. The desirability of having the wooden strip in sections is at once apparent, and provision is thereby made for removin either or both end sec-' tions in the event they become worn or s lit without the necessity of disturbing the ot or sections.

The tie constructed as described is, in efi'ect, a hollow tie, which by means of the peculiar formation provides a series. of independent chambers extending throughout the length of the tie. These chambers, which are in the preferredponstruction described so arranged as to provide three independent chambers immediately above the base of the tie and one on each side of the main channel, are capable and designed for permitting the passage of line-wires for electric current or signal-operating wires or the like. it is desired to render the tie of more solid construction the chambers referred to may be charged with any suitable filler, as cement or the like, and I contemplate in such use of the tie that end caps of obvious .construction may be arranged to close the ends of the chambers in the use of such filler. In usin a filler for the tie the independence of t e chambers is important, as the two side chambers in the lower portion of the tie may thus be filled, leaving the intermediate chamber and the side chambers beyond the channel to impart the desired resiliency to the tie. a In fact, one or more of the chambers may be filled, as-the' necessities of the particular use of .the tie may demand.

The tie is preferably constructed of a sin- 'gle sheet of metal and in the form shown and described provides ractically an indestructible tie having all necessary inhered elasticity to absorb jar. If desired, the railseats 3 of the tie may be formed with integral tongues 13, designed in use to be bent about the base-flanges of the rail and aid in securing the rails in place.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly-modified form of the rail-tie of this inveniton, wherein In the event I it will be noted that the end sections of the strip forming the tie are projected from the base-section of the tie to the bottom wall of the channel 5 in parallel contacting relation,

as at 14, instead of the inclined spacing arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is '1. A metallic tie formed with a series'of independent compartments arranged both above and below the central line of the tie,

the tie being also formed to provide a ehannel intermediate the upper com artments.

2. A metallic tie formed wit 1 aseries of independent compartments arranged both above and below the central line of the tie, the tie being also formed to provide a channel. intermediatethe upper compartments,

and a section of spike-penetrablematerial secured in the channel.

3. A metallic tie formed with a series of independent compartments arranged both above and below the central line of the tie, the tie being also formed to provide a channel intermediate the upper compartments, and a lurality of longitudinally-alined sections oi wood secured in the channel.

4. A metallic tie constructed of a. sin le strip of sheet metal bent to form a central yarranged dovetailed channel, and to form a series of independent compartments below thechannel.

5. A metallic tie constructed of a single strip of sheet metal bent to form a centrallyarranged dovetailed channel, and to form a series of inde endent compartments below the channel, the free ends of the strip bear ing beneath the base-wall of the channel. '6. A metallic tie having a ce'ntrallyarranged channel, and a series of compartments disposed below the channel, each side wall of the tie being inclined in reverse directions from the longitudinal center.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 

